


Snapshots: Summer 1999

by glim



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Time, M/M, New Jersey, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-01
Updated: 2012-07-07
Packaged: 2017-10-09 06:05:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/83830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/pseuds/glim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein Arthur and Merlin work at the Camelot diner, drive down the shore, and manage to fall in love the summer before they leave for college. Modern AU, set in New Jersey at the end of the '90s. (A Take Your Fandom Home fic; various ficlets in the 'verse archived here as fic chapters.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. snapshots

_**AUGUST 17, Point Pleasant Beach**_  
"You could come with us. Drive up to Trenton, to my dorm."

Merlin waited a moment before he opened his eyes. The warmth of the late afternoon sun, combined with the low roar of the ocean, had lulled him into a lazy, luxurious doze that he didn't want to give up yet. When he didn't answer, Arthur shook the water from his hands onto Merlin's stomach and prodded at Merlin's side with his foot until Merlin squinted up at him.

"No, I can't."

"Come on. You could."

"Yeah, Arthur, sure. So me and Uther can drive back down here together after and, what? Both talk about how much we're going to miss you?" Merlin leaned up on his elbows. "He already thinks I break dishes on purpose and am other kinds of insane."

Arthur got quiet and looked back towards the ocean. The water had slicked his blond hair smooth and ran down his back and between his shoulders in snaking rivulets that Merlin knew would taste of salt and Coppertone sunscreen.

And of Arthur. His sweat and soap. His skin. Merlin edged the tip of his tongue over his lips and closed his eyes again. A couple months ago, he wouldn't have been able to say what sort of taste Arthur's skin might have.

He's spent all of July and August committing Arthur to memory.

And Merlin wasn't going to give up those memories yet, no matter how close the summer was to ending. He had three more weekends before Labor Day and here, with his eyes shut against the sun, he could pretend he had thirteen or thirty or some incalculable number of slow Saturdays and Sundays left.

Next to him Arthur dropped back down onto the beach towel. His breath brushed against Merlin's shoulder and his fingers through Merlin's hair, in a way he only tended to let happen when they were alone.

The thought that maybe Arthur really didn't care if anyone saw them together made Merlin smile and arch into the touch. He'd kissed Merlin on the boardwalk, an ice-water cool press of lips and tongue, and smiled so broadly after that Merlin had wondered if Arthur was going to start laughing. He'd allowed his fingers to tangle with Merlin's while they walked, only for a few seconds at a time, and bumped his shoulder against Merlin's while they waited in line to get onto the beach.

God. He didn't want to give any of this up. What he wouldn't give for a few more months of summer, for the days to stretch even longer into September and October.

Or for it to be June again, the weekend after graduation, so he could have the whole summer in front of him. And he wouldn't wait, he wouldn't be completely stupid and wait for summer vacation to do anything important.

Arthur's hand carded through his hair again and Merlin turned into the touch. He blinked his eyes back open, still lazy with afternoon sleep, and smiled, wondering what it would be like to press his sun-warmed body to Arthur's water-cooled skin.

Sort of amazing, he knew. Like last night had been sort of amazing, strange and new, the length of Arthur's body pressed all along his like they belonged to each other, their breath raw and sharp against hot, sweat damp skin.

Arthur smiled at him. "What?"

"I don't know. I wish it weren't August already."

A tiny frown creased Arthur's forehead and he reached up to sweep his thumb over Merlin's cheek. "Yeah, me too."

*

_**JUNE 30, The Camelot Diner**_  
"No."

"What? Why not?" Merlin fingered the edge of the take-out bag. "I'll bring it over to Tom so he doesn't have to come pick it up."

"Because…" Arthur lowered his voice. The diner was between the lunch rush and the early bird dinner special hour and was quiet enough that his exasperation with Merlin could he heard over the clink of coffee spoons against mugs. "Because you _talk_ to people."

"Arthur, that's what you do when you have customers. Talk to them, ask about their day. I know it's hard for you to understand from all the way up here at the cash register."

Arthur let out a huff of a sigh and slid the bag away from Merlin, pretending to check the receipt one more time before he stapled it on. After six hours working the register at the diner, an opportunity his father seemed to think counted as a sign of affection, Arthur was ready to leave the Camelot, drive somewhere quiet. "You'll talk to _Gwen_. Or _Lance_. Or, oh god, _both of them together_."

"Why do I feel like you're speaking in special Arthur-language now?" Merlin reached for the bag again, yet he leaned back against the counter when Arthur glared at him. "Let me take it over to the auto body shop. You know I won't keep the tip if they give me one."

"Of course they'll give you one."

"What, because I talk to people?"

"Who talks to people?" Morgana set a pile of menus down on the register with a thud and peered at the bag. "Oh, is that for next door? I'll take it over."

"Oh, god, no. You're just as bad as he is."

Morgana turned to Merlin. "What is he even going on about?"

"He's worried you'll, um, _talk_ to Gwen."

Morgana raised her eyebrows in that infuriating way she had. The one that told Arthur he was being an idiot even if she didn't know exactly what he was being idiotic about. "Yes, I do that sometimes. Some times I – "

"Yes! No need to go on about your - your. You know. And you know what I mean," Arthur said, finally letting Merlin grab the take out bag to take over to Tom's shop.

"I'll come back when your shift's done. Should I call from the shop?"

"Please, don't."

A step away from the counter, Merlin turned back to Arthur. "You can get me dinner. We'll eat together."

Arthur replied with a nod and glanced back down at the Trident gum and assorted mints display. When he was sure Merlin wouldn't turn back again, he raised his eyes to watch Merlin walk out the door and across to the auto body.

The dip of his spine was visible above the collar of his white tee shirt, and his skin still pale despite summer having gotten well underway by now and despite Merlin having spent a good number of mornings and afternoons out in the sun. He tucked his keys into the back pocket of his jeans, stopped for as second to wave, and from the quickening of his steps, Arthur could imagine how he was grinning and shouting hello across the parking lot to Gwen.

He'd spent the past few hours waiting tables instead of just busing them like usually did, smiling and laughing with the people in the diner in that Merlin-ish way that he had, the one that got them to order the dinner specials and smile back when he refilled their drinks. The same, strange way that had Arthur watching him wait tables and wondering when the dip of Merlin's spine and the angle of his wrists had become something Arthur couldn't help staring at.

"You're hopeless, you know that?"

Before Arthur could ask for an explanation, the door to the restaurant opened, sending a warm gust of summer heat into the air conditioned dining room, and Morgana walked away, smiling and welcoming the first of the early bird dinner crowd.

*

_**AUGUST 6, St. Antony's Church Parking Lot**_  
"So. You and Arthur. You're still…"

"What? Yeah. Yeah, I guess we are."

"You _guess_? Dude, Merlin, if you are, I'm pretty sure you don't guess but know you are." Will hefted one of the boxes down from the shelf in the rectory garage, blew the dust off the top, and frowned down. "This one?"

"Yeah, that. That's the, um, the barbecue cooking stuff, I think." Merlin waited until Will got down a couple more boxes before he exacto-knifed them open. "The tables and chairs are in the basement."

"Does your uncle want those out tonight?"

"Yeah, but, only move them to garage. If you can help tomorrow, though?"

"Sure. Yeah. I'll help set up. No more Saturday morning tadpole class this summer for me."

Merlin turned to smile over his shoulder at Will. Even when he wasn't teaching at the Y, Will looked like he ought to be. He spent most of the summer dressed in swimming trunks and chlorine stained tee shirts, his brown hair grown out almost to his shoulders and shot through with gold from the sun.

A few hours into the hot, sticky, humid August morning, it was also damp with sweat and Will pushed it off his forehead when he returned the smile. Except his was a sort of impatient, tolerant smile, and he shook his head at Merlin.

"Come on. Arthur. I totally don't need details," Will added hastily, "but. You know."

"Right, I know. And, yeah, it's good."

"Yeah?"

Merlin nodded. Will looked at him for a couple seconds, narrowing his eyes and evaluating Merlin until Merlin gave him another smile and nod.

"Cool. He's coming to the barbecue tomorrow?"

"Probably. I don't think he's working."

That got a sound of approval from Will. Merlin suspected Will hadn't figured out what redeeming qualities Merlin saw in Arthur that made Arthur worth hooking up with or dating or whatever it was he and Arthur were actually doing this summer.

And Merlin wasn't making much effort to explain. Mostly because he wasn't sure how to tell Will that Arthur made his breath come short and painful in chest, or that Arthur had this way of looking at him that made Merlin feel like he was somebody who was completely and utterly special for however many seconds that look lasted.

And.

And, okay.

Yeah.

Talking about meant thinking about it, and thinking about him and Arthur together meant thinking about him and Arthur not together once the summer ended.

And Merlin wasn't doing that.

Not today, when he and Will were going through boxes for the church picnic, hiding from the glare of the morning sun against the asphalt in the dim cool of the garage, quietly plotting how to finish as quickly as possible before heading to the pool or the basement of Will's house, where it was even cooler.

*

_**JULY 5, Merlin's House**_  
The holiday weekend had been half sunny and half rainy, but the sky had cleared and left behind a warm summer night of starlight and breeze that whisked over the grass.

"Here."

Arthur held out at a hand to Merlin from where he'd sprawled himself on the front lawn. "Iced tea?"

"My mom is convinced I need to offer you something to drink." Merlin dropped down next to Arthur after he took the glass.

"She does realize I've been here practically all day. And have had about six cans of Coke."

"Now you have variety."

Arthur shrugged, confused, but sat up halfway on the lawn to down most the glass of iced tea in one go, and set aside his drink to wipe the condensation from his hand across the front of his grey tee shirt.

"Tell your mom thanks, again, for having me over."

"Oh, that's no problem. She loves having people here for holidays and stuff." Merlin nudged one of bare feet against Arthur's, unable to stop smiling when Arthur kept on nudging back at him. His stomach did that shaky thing it was doing around Arthur lately and his toes curled at the tickle of Arthur's leg against his. "Hey. You don't have to go yet."

"I have work tomorrow."

"I know. But if you don't want to go yet… don't."

Arthur glanced at his watch, up at the night sky, then back at his watch, and worried his lip for a second. The breeze skimmed over the grass and their bare arms and legs, and a moment later, Arthur's breath was a sudden warmth against the side of Merlin's face.

"You don't want me to go, do you?" Arthur slipped in a little closer, leaning up on his elbow, close enough to where Merlin was still stretched out on the grass that his body felt as warm as his breath against Merlin's skin.

"I. No. I mean. Of course not. You can always stay –"

"Mm."

The press of his lips against Merlin's was a new, different kind of warmth, a breathless kind, and an almost forceful kind. The first time Arthur kissed him was dry and quick and uncertain, and he drew back almost immediately. The second time, Arthur brushed his lips over Merlin's before pressing in close once more, the angle clumsy until he tipped his head to the side and tried again.

Merlin pressed his mouth back against Arthur's before slipping his tongue against Arthur's lips. They were both still for a second, self-conscious and caught in the half-kiss, until Arthur sighed into Merlin, his lips parting and mouth yielding to Merlin's.

Once upon a time, Merlin had kissed Will, and he'd kissed a couple girls and more than a couple boys since then, but he'd never really thought about kissing Arthur.

Not until this summer, and maybe, in some way, not until this very moment when his breath was coming damp and fast against Arthur's mouth and his body was yearning in towards Arthur, who'd rested his hand at Merlin's hip.

"I should stay?" Arthur's lips moved against Merlin's as he talked. He tugged Merlin in closer with a satisfied sound.

"You should. For a while." Merlin closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of dew damp grass, the summertime evening air, and Arthur's body, and let his tongue glide against Arthur's.

*

_**JULY 17, The Wawa**_  
Not sure how long it would take Merlin to buy things like Doritos and an Icee and all the other junk food he crammed into his body before noon, Arthur left the air conditioner running in the car for ten minutes.

After that, he gave up, flicked it off, opened the two front windows, shut the car off, and craned his neck to try and look inside the convenience store.

Because he knew what had happened. He knew _exactly_ what had happened. Merlin had gone in, all half-asleep smiling and polite to whomever held the door for him, and had either managed to start a conversation with that person, or somebody who knew his Uncle Gaius, who was a priest over at St. Antony's, or his mom, who taught second grade and somehow that meant that everyone knew who she was and remembered when Merlin was three and had gone into work with his mom.

Which was fine.

It's not that there was anything _wrong_ with everyone knowing Merlin, or with Merlin being happy to strike up conversation with pretty much anyone in the Wawa.

Except for the part where Merlin was supposed to be spending the day down the shore with Arthur, not meandering into conversation with random people by the Tastykakes display.

Not that Arthur should complain. And he wasn't. He was … thinking. About Merlin. And he's been thinking about Merlin almost all summer, from the day right after graduation when Merlin had come with Gwen to the diner for lunch, the two of them laughing and coaxing Morgana, then Arthur, into the booth with them, up until that night a couple weeks ago, when Arthur had finally found the sudden strength inside him to kiss Merlin and see what might happen.

And every day after that, every evening, the smooth cool slide of his bedsheets against his body and the ever present thought of what it would be like to have Merlin's slim body sliding against his instead of the sheets.

Or the smell of his hair, his sweat, his body all over Arthur's sheets. Arthur wanted to find that out, too, and he wondered if maybe the summer was dwindling away too quickly for that to happen.

Sometimes Merlin would look at him, after they'd spent hours with their mouths all over each other, mouths and necks and lips and shoulders and Arthur's hand flat against Merlin's belly as he panted against Arthur's mouth, and there would be this odd, distant look in his eyes.

He never said anything, only mumbled something about wanting summer vacation to be longer, or wanting to go down the shore more often, or hoping Arthur might decide not to work every weekend at the diner during the summer.

But Arthur knew what he wasn't saying was that Arthur was going away, was leaving when Merlin would be staying, and everything would be different in September this year. He needed to get away. Even if away only meant an hour or so drive away from his father's house and business.

Arthur drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, looking up just in time to see Merlin walk out of the Wawa.

*

_**AUGUST 2, Arthur's House**_  
"Hey."

"Hey," Arthur muttered and sat down heavily on his bed. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. Were you – is everything all right?"

"What? Oh. Yeah. My father… he's impossible. I can't tell if he thinks I ought to have gone to Princeton, or if I ought to have commuted to Rutgers and kept working at the diner."

Merlin considered Arthur for a moment, decided that was probably as open as he was going to about the situation, and elbowed him. "You want to watch _Dawson's Creek_? Will that make you feel better?"

"I hate you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

*

_**JULY 19, Arthur's Car**_  
"Oh, god, Arthur, no. I hate that cd."

"Who's driving?"

"Nobody. We're parked."

"I suppose I could put on the radio. Z100?"

Merlin groaned. "You realize I know all the words to every song by Dave Matthews Band? I don't _like_ Dave Matthews Band."

"When you drive, you can choose the music."

"What. That's not – I don't have a car. And you won't let me drive yours."

"Hm, too bad then."

"You're such an asshole."

Arthur was quiet for a second. "Fine. Put on that alternative or whatever station you like. As long as you keep doing that," he added, leaning into the murmur of Merlin's lips against his neck.

*

_**JULY 31, Merlin's Room**_  
"Is there a reason the Emrys household doesn't believe in air conditioning?"

"We thought it would stop you from coming over and being a pain in the ass."

Arthur grunted and the mattress shifted beneath his weight. Merlin's room wasn't exactly comfortable. Aside from being too hot, it was covered in laundry in various states of cleanliness, had comic books and shoes and even more books piled up or tumbled down all over the place, and a collection of Star Wars action figures that Merlin really ought to be embarrassed about.

It also, however, had Merlin. Arthur shifted again to bury his face in Merlin's pillow and breathe in the now familiar scent of his hair and skin. Even the clack of his fingers against the keyboard, the sound of Merlin doing something useless and entertaining at his desk, was comforting. Probably chatting to Gwen or Will on AIM.

Arthur rubbed his face into Merlin's pillow.

There wasn't anyone here to yell at him about expectations or obligations. Nobody to remind him about the family business and how hard they'd worked so he could take over the restaurant someday. Nobody to tell him he wanted impossible things, nobody who'd walk away when he said he wanted to be more than this, to be more than whatever he was now.

The typing stopped, the mattress dipped, and fingers skated own Arthur's arm.

He wondered if Merlin ever wanted more and with that wonder something fierce and urgent rose up in Arthur's chest.

Fingers tangled in Merlin's dark hair, he kissed Merlin roughly, rough enough to feel Merlin gasp against his mouth and struggle to grasp Arthur's shoulder before Arthur kissed him again.

And again, and harder, and longer, and harder again, until Merlin drew away and slipped his hand up Arthur's shirt to stroke his chest. He'd learned quickly that Arthur loved it when Merlin touched his chest with his hands or his mouth, and that he could get Arthur desperate with need by working his way from Arthur's shoulders to his hipbones.

"Stay close," Arthur muttered.

"Not too hot?"

"No. Not. Just… stay."

Merlin's hand stilled on Arthur's chest. He hooked one leg over Arthur's and pulled him as close as he could until they were breathing, then mouthing against each other once more.

*

_**AUGUST 16, Arthur's Bedroom**_  
At the first touch of Arthur's lips against his stomach, Merlin's breath hitched loudly.

"Shh…" Another kiss to his stomach. Arthur nuzzled in close and breathed over Merlin's skin with a hushing sound.

"What? Why? Nobody else… oh god, oh god Arthur." His breath caught in the back of his throat again and Merlin's hips arched up towards Arthur's mouth. "You can't… don't stop."

"Not. Not at all. I want… one second, okay?" Arthur drew back a couple inches and traced one finger around the curve of Merlin's hip.

That touch, the light flit of Arthur's fingers, slowed the everything down for the first time that evening. Even Merlin's breath came slower and slightly more even while he watched Arthur.

When Arthur kissed the corner of his hip, Merlin squeezed his eyes shut. Fuck. He was hard. He'd been hard before he and Arthur had pulled off their shorts and tee shirts, kicking the clothes into a pile by Arthur's bed and falling on top of each other, grabbing and kissing and wanting. He'd even been hard in the car after a half hour of Arthur licking and sucking wet kisses down his neck.

Merlin's hands had been all over Arthur as soon as the bedroom door had shut behind them. Up under his tee shirt and the waist of the cargo shorts he'd had on, then down his boxers and wrapping around his cock. Arthur had loved that, had cried out and buried his face in Merlin's shoulder, coming all over Merlin's hand while Merlin was still jacking him off, fumbling and trying to learn how Arthur's body worked.

He'd started kissing again after that, soft and slow this time, slid his tongue inside Merlin's mouth and his hand down to stroke over Merlin's ribcage, stomach, and hip.

Then, finally, he'd pushed Merlin onto the bed, a splay of warm, naked, awkward limbs and flushed skin.

Now Arthur kept on stroking over Merlin's body. Arousal was a tight, hot coil inside Merlin, twisting out from his belly to his every part of his body. Part of him wanted to hang onto the moment, to stretch it out forever and keep it as a memory of this too short summer. Another part of him, the one frantically pulling Arthur atop him and rubbing himself up against Arthur, couldn't see past the blur of pleasure.

*

_**AUGUST 17, Point Pleasant Beach**_  
"Yeah, me too." Arthur stroked the pad of his thumb over Merlin's cheek, his hand still damp with salt water, and smiled. "You're going to be sunburned tomorrow."

"Just a little."

"Just a little," Arthur agreed. "Here," he added, touching one finger to the bridge of Merlin's nose. "What?"

Merlin shook his head and dodged Arthur's touch. He was already a little pink from the day of sun, just over his nose and his shoulders, and he shoved Arthur aside when he tried to finger the point of one shoulder. "We all can't be tan and gorgeous like you."

"You're pale and gorgeous." Arthur paused for a moment, and felt warmth rise up over his own face. Merlin had been joking – the twitch of a smile at the corner of his mouth told Arthur that – and Arthur had been stupidly serious.

"You think I'm gorgeous?"

"I think you're _intolerable_."

Merlin laughed and sat up to reach for his tee shirt, pulling it on before Arthur could remind him that he'd get even more sunburnt if he didn't. Arthur touched the back of his neck, lightly, and mapped the line of Merlin's spine down the center of his back.

"What if you come up? For a weekend or something?"

"Where? Your dorm? You'll have a roommate." Merlin arched up into Arthur's touch for a moment before leaning into the press of Arthur's palm at the small of his back. "He might, um, he might not like…"

"If he's not there, he shouldn't mind. We'll work something out."

The distant look appeared in Merlin's eyes again and he stared down at the sand. "You don't have to, you know. Ask me to come visit."

Arthur stroked his fingers into the dip right at the base of Merlin's back. He hadn't been so great at telling Merlin he wanted more than the frantic make out sessions in his car, or the quiet, more desperate ones in either of their bedrooms during whatever hours when the rest of the house was empty. He'd kissed Merlin first, though, and had wanted to kiss him so badly that first night that Arthur had thought his breath would catch painfully and permanently in his chest if he hadn't.

He'd tried, though. He'd put his arm around Merlin's shoulders as they'd walked the length of the boardwalk, and he'd kissed Merlin here, in the hot sticky ocean air, a crowd of hotter, stickier bodies around theirs as he did so. And tonight, like last night, he'd slide his hands down Merlin's body, down over his ribcage to his hips, palm over his stomach and his cock, and feel Merlin shudder and, later, fall asleep against him.

"Actually? I do," Arthur replied, and waited for Merlin to look up before he rubbed his back again. "So, you know, say yes or shut up."

"That's not much of a choice."

"You're not really going to say no, are you?"

Merlin looked down at the sand again and shook his head. Resting his fingers at the nape of Merlin's neck, Arthur wondered how many more things would change between them.


	2. Chapter 2

"I've worked hard so that someday, all this will be yours," Arthur says, his voice a grave imitation of his father's, and waves his fork at Merlin. He's wearing the black shirt and trousers he only wears to work and that make him look like he's going to be following Merlin's uncle's choice of profession instead of Uther's. "ALL THIS." He waves his fork again, this time towards the salad bar and the mirrored walls and the view of Route 18 that they reflect. "Lucky me."

"It's not so bad?" Merlin leans forward in the booth and uses his own fork to stop Arthur from eating any more of his chicken parmigiana. "You could always sell the diner..."

The look of shock on Arthur's face is worth it. Merlin gets to eat his meal in silence for a few minutes and Arthur doesn't even touch the mashed potatoes he's piled onto Merlin's dish, knowing full well that Merlin doesn't like them with chicken parm. "I can't _sell_ The Camelot."

Merlin starts to reply, stops when Arthur gives a look that that he knows means _don't talk with your mouth full, please, God, Merlin_, and reaches for his glass of ice water. Arthur's actually kind of a horrible person who pays too much attention to other people's table manners and choice of clothing, or, at least, he pays too much attention to Merlin's table manners and to his own choice of clothing, but he has his moments of being a decent human being. Like, for instance, he really wouldn't sell his father's restaurant, even if he never ended up running the place the same way Uther did. Uther loves this fucking diner, probably spends more time at it than he does in the Princes' ridiculously huge, expensive, four-car-garage house, and has the menus redone at least four times a year to show his love and dedication. Arthur grew up here as much as he did anywhere else, and if he's going to be decent about anything, it'll be about his family's business.

Besides, he got Merlin a job here busing tables over the summer, which is turning out to be way better than stocking shelves at the Quick Check like he did last summer. He gets more free food, even if Arthur tries to eat half of it while he's sitting at the back of the diner bitching at Merlin about whatever he's pissed off at that day. Which. Okay. That's nothing new. Merlin's spent more afternoons at The Camelot than he can remember; he came here with Arthur after school for years, and once Arthur started working at the diner, after most of Arthur's shifts.

"You realize I can tell that you're not even listening to me, right?" Arthur kicks Merlin under the table. He almost laughs when Merlin gives a squeak of pain, then frowns, less contrition than concentration, and starts rubbing his foot against Merlin's ankle. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Um. It's Sunday, so Mass--"

"--church?"

"What? Yeah. My uncle's a _priest_, Arthur," Merlin adds when Arthur looks like he's going to start laughing again. "I have family... family things, too, y'know."

"Yeah, I know. All right. All right," he says again, and his foot's still rubbing against Merlin's all slow and careful, like they're not in public, but someplace dark and quiet, like Merlin's bedroom or Arthur's car. "What happens after Mass?"

"... Sunday lunch. You know that."

"What's your mom making?"

Merlin shrugs. "Stuffed cabbage or something like that. I dunno."

"All right," Arthur says for a third time. His stupid hair is all shiny and soft looking under the lights, and outside the summer evening is starting to darken, headlights zipping down the highway and neon signs blinking across four lanes of traffic. "We'll do that."

He lets Merlin finish his dinner in peace after that decision, and even snitches cookies from the bakery display, claiming they'll just go stale anyway, so he might as well give them to Merlin's family. Arthur drives Merlin home the back way, through dim streets full of neat suburban houses, swimming pools and sidewalk-chalked works of art, and pulls up behind Merlin's mom's Ford Escort.

Merlin's house doesn't have a swimming pool, and it's been years since he's marked up the sidewalk for his mom, and the aluminum siding is fading from white to a dull gray. The porch windows are all open and if he squints, he can just about see the flicker of the tv through the screen door. Arthur's got Dave Matthews on the cd player in his car, and Merlin doesn't even _like_ Dave Matthews, but his chest aches a little when he realizes he'll miss listening to this cd once summer is over.

"Hey. D'you want to drive down to Point Pleasant or something tomorrow?" Merlin unclips his seat belt and rests one hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Before school starts again?"

"College, Merlin. It's different."

"I know." And he does. It's just... If Arthur doesn't want to think about running the diner, then Merlin doesn't want to think about Arthur living on campus up at Trenton while he commutes to Rutgers. "C'mon. We should go down the shore."

"Yeah. Yeah, we should. We'll go later on, after lunch and all that family bonding time you do at your house."

Before he can start cataloging the summer evening, Merlin stops himself, and lets all the details of this warm, humid summer evening filter through his mind. He's not thinking about the heavy air or the sound of cicada song, or the way the streetlight spills warm, yellow light over the car, or if he'll remember, long weeks and months from now, what Arthur's wearing or what music they're listening to, or what he had for dinner.

Arthur turns to him with that funny, half-frown on his face, glances at the hand Merlin still has on his shoulder, and kisses him, and keeps kissing him, until the cd they're listening to finishes. Arthur's got one hand sliding up Merlin's tee shirt and his breath is damp and desperate against Merlin's neck.

That, though? Yeah. He'll remember that. He'll keep it tucked at the back of his mind and pull it out during Sunday Mass and family dinners, when he's clearing off tables and sitting in class, and when he's wondering how the summer ended so soon.


	3. Chapter 3

"Right. Which one does your mom like?" 

Merlin made a non-committal noise and nodded in the direction of Will's left hand. His mother had gotten him up at eight o'clock that morning, shoved a shopping list and an envelope of money at him, and asked him to buy barbecue supplies while she went into work for a few hours. Only a teacher would start thinking about the next school year while on summer vacation.

"Not helpful, man. Come on. Hellman's or Shop-Rite brand?"

"Nrgh. Th'one…" Merlin blinked sleepily and scrubbed at his eyes. "Blue label."

"Hellman's." Will pitched the jar into the cart. "Are you going to help or just slouch around the store?" 

"Slouch," Merlin slurred, though he made an effort to not lean all his weight against the cart lest Will pull it away and send him sprawling into the mayonnaise display. "Not that."

"What?" 

Merlin waved at the spicy mustard until Will exchanged it for yellow.

"You're so boring, Merlin."

Which, by the way, what right did he have to be so cheerful about condiments this early in the morning anyway? Based on what Will was wearing – the same obnoxious tropical print swimming trunks and tee shirt with JERSEY FRESH emblazoned across the chest in bright green that he had on yesterday – Merlin guessed he hadn't actually been to sleep yet. Unlike Merlin, who'd bused tables at the diner until midnight, came home wired around two, and didn't get to sleep until at least three in the morning. Maybe four.

"Boring, and, what is up with you? You're usually at least coherent by this time. Ketchup?"

"Heinz. I don't know. I was … y'know. At work."

"And? What. You can tell me."

Merlin blinked again, just in case he was reading the look on Will's face wrong. But, no, it was the 'you're hooking up with somebody and I know you're hooking up with somebody and you're going to tell me because we're best friends and I never told your uncle about the time you got drunk on the communion wine or dropped the hosts when we were altar boys.' Merlin shrugged the shrug of the non-verbal best friend language that let Will know he'd be spilling the truth without much coaxing.

"… Arthur."

"Okay. Let me revise that: you can totally tell me, but not in the condiment aisle."

*

"So. You and Arthur."

"Yeah."

"Huh." Will looked down at the pile of job applications in his lap. "You realize he's blond and obnoxious?"

"Yeah." Merlin looked down at his excessively large cup of Starbucks coffee. Excessively expensive, too, but they were at Menlo Park and if he as going to be stuck at the mall, then he was getting mall coffee. "You know, he could probably get you a job –"

"Oh, no way, man. I am not working at the diner for your insane boyfriend."

"Arthur's not insane."

Will cast a sidelong glance at Merlin and kicked at Merlin's ankle with the side of his flip-flop. "You know the first thing he's going to do when he gets to his college dorm is to re-organize his underwear. And the second? Try and get his roommate to organize their underwear. Wow, that poor anonymous guy."

"Will –"

"That's just wrong. Expecting to go to college and live a life of debauchery, only to find you're stuck with Arthur Prince and his color-coded underpants."

"He doesn't color code them."

"Don't even share, Merlin. I'm still traumatized from all those years of gym we had together."

"Seriously. He'd get his dad to get you a job."

"Some of us don't want to work in food services."

"Do you even remember you're still working at the Dairy Queen?"

"Not for long." Will waved his sheaf of applications at Merlin.

"Yeah, soon you'll be moving up in the world. To CVS."

"CVS is quality. _Consumer Value Stores_, Merlin."

Merlin shifted on the wooden bench to watch Will fill out the applications. Aside from CVS, they'd already hit up Gap, Starbucks, Brookstone, and Barnes &amp; Noble. Why Will was set on working at the CVS? Complete mystery. Merlin kind of suspected he liked acronyms.

*

Okay, not just suspected, he knew what Will liked. He liked acronyms and doing the crossword puzzle and the word jumble, he liked teaching swimming lessons at the Y and Canadian pop music and US History (enough to get a four on the AP Exam without studying) and Slim Jim and Wawa coffee.

He'd stolen the communion wine with Merlin that one time, didn't manage to get stupid and drunk like Merlin, and brought Merlin holy water to drink, their fingers warm and tangled and clumsy as they hid in the vestibule.

It had been the afternoon of all things forbidden, and after communion wine and holy water, it was the taste of his best friend's mouth that Merlin had on his lips. They were ten and curious, and never did it again after that one time, but Will never stopped being proud that he had been Merlin's first kiss.

*

"I don't care that you're with _Arthur_."

"You don't?" Merlin unbuckled his seat belt and shifted to face Will in the Chevy.

"Okay. I do. But only because he's a jerkoff half the time." He glanced at Merlin for a second, then gazed out the car window, one hand still on the steering wheel. "You know he's going up to Trenton in September? And we won't see him every day anymore?"

"I… yeah. I mean, I know, and I knew, when we –"

"Details, dude, I don't need them."

Merlin laughed. The summer afternoon sun shimmered off the asphalt in the parking lot and the breeze through the open car windows barely cut through the heat. "Right, yeah. I just mean, I know, things'll change."

"Everything."

Because, right, Arthur was going up to TCNJ in Trenton, and Will to Middlesex County, and Merlin to Rutgers, and the only reason he wasn't doing community college, too, was the scholarship he got from the honors program.

Merlin hated it, the idea that everything would change, and Will knew he hated it, so neither of them bothered saying anything else. Non-verbal best friend communication again.

Finally, Will shoved Merlin's shoulder and gave him about as serious a look as Will could manage. "All right?"

"Yeah. All right." Merlin nodded and exchanged a smile with Will before rolling up the window and sliding out of the car.

Sunlight and warm breeze filtered through his hair over his arms and legs as Merlin stood up and stretched. From across the diner parking lot, he could hear Will yell 'hey, princess!' to Arthur and could imagine the look on Arthur's face, the very same one he'd been giving Will in reply to that greeting for at least the past ten years.


	4. Sunday, November 21, 1999, 10.45pm

"How is it possible that this week is the longest week ever?"

"Merlin. It's only _three days long_. That's pretty much the _shortest_ week this semester." 

"Yeah. I know. Still."

"Still," Arthur agreed, his voice going soft and quiet after having laughed at Merlin for a few seconds. "Right. Tell me what you've got this week."

Merlin settled in against the pillows on his bed and closed his eyes. If he did that – closed his eyes and just listened to the sound of Arthur's voice – it was easier to imagine he'd gone up to Trenton to stay with Arthur, or that Arthur had come home for the weekend. "Mm. Expos paper due on Tuesday, but I'm almost finished with that. Sort of. Oh, and I need to do my language lab for Spanish. Then just usual stuff. Class and all. You have a French test, right?"

"Yeah, tomorrow. I should be all right, though, since I spent most of today in the library. What about Wednesday? Wait – what? Hold on a second…" There was the sound of the phone being put down, then the muffled sound of Arthur's voice as he spoke to somebody else. After a couple minutes, Merlin could hear the phone getting jostled again, then the slamming of a door and Arthur's breathy, quiet, "hey," that meant his roommate had left. 

"Hey," Merlin replied. "You're alone now, yeah?"

"Yeah." 

"Good. So, Wednesday. You're coming home? And I'll see you Wedneday night?"

"Of course. Should I – are you working? I'll come see you at work." 

"Class, then work from six 'til ten. You can come stay at my house if you're dad's going to be working at the diner that night." 

"Right. I'll just come to the diner to see you, and to see if Dad needs help with anything, then I'll give you a ride home."

Merlin smiled, now imagining what Arthur looked like. Probably tired from having been at the library studying all day, stretched out on his bed in his jeans and tee shirt, his hair rumpled, his feet bare. Or maybe he had on the hoodie he'd stolen from Merlin the last time Merlin had stayed with him. 

Somehow, that thought made Merlin smile harder and made his chest ache at the same time. They hadn't even done anything that weekend – a trip to the library, one to the bookstore because Arthur needed highlighters and index cards, multiple ones to the dining hall. The rest of the time they'd spent in Arthur's room, watching television and making out and sleeping and waking up and having sex. 

It had been sort of perfect. It hadn't been like when he and Arthur lived only about ten minutes away from each other, but it had been just the two of them for most of the weekend. Arthur still fell sleep in front of the television, and he still kicked at Merlin in his sleep, but whined when Merlin tried to move away from him. And he still wore boxers and a tee shirt to bed, and prodded at his food until it was arranged the way he liked, and he still put his arm around Merlin's waist while they walked around outside, just like he did at home.

So, yes. Perfect, pretty much, that weekend. 

It had also been about a month ago. Which, by now, at the end of November, felt like ages ago. It had still been warm outside then, when he and Arthur had walked down to the bookstore. Not like now, when even the morning sun wasn't enough to warm Merlin up on his walk from the bus stop at the student center to class. 

Merlin's chest tightened up a little more. It wasn't like… they _tried_ to see each other as much as possible. But Merlin had work, and Arthur didn’t always feel like driving back home, and Merlin's couldn't really afford to take the train every weekend, and the semester got really crazy around November and…

And, mostly, he just missed Arthur and this whole thing about Arthur being far away and college being _different_ was usually okay, but sometimes it really wasn't. 

"Hey… Everything all right?" Arthur asked after Merlin got really quiet.

"What? Oh. Yeah. I'm just… I'm missing you." Merlin rubbed at his face. "Is that stupid to say? I don’t know, I –"

"I feel like, you should be here with me. I keep on wearing your Rutgers sweatshirt and I even bought that stupid Old Spice body wash that you like." Arthur shifted on his bed and sighed. "I'm leaving right after class on Wednesday morning, okay? And I'll come pick you up on campus."

"Okay. Yeah, that's…. that's good. I'm done at noon, so just come to Scott Hall and look for me." The ache in Merlin's chest tightened up again, but this time with yearning instead of sadness. "Longest week _ever_?" 

"Longest week ever," Arthur agreed again.


	5. August Rain

After his shift finished, Arthur stopped at the kitchen and picked up the take-out he had ordered on his break. He expected to find Merlin there, but discovered after a quick chat with a couple of the other servers that he was waiting out back for Arthur. 

Waiting and staring off into space, as it turned out. He was sitting on the steps behind the diner, knees tucked into his chest, gazing out at the parking lot. When he heard Arthur, he turned and smiled.

"Hey…"

"Hey. Thought maybe you'd left already." Arthur dropped down next to Merlin and elbowed him to shove over. "I got dinner. Do you want to just go over to your house?"

"Um. My mom's home. And my uncle, probably." Merlin refused to move; he slipped an arm around Arthur's waist instead, so Arthur's body fit right into the curve of his own. 

"Yeah, I thought they would be. I got the chicken parm special." Nodding at the bag, Arthur went a bit shy. He's used to bringing food over to Merlin's after his shift as host; he's even used to staying and eating dinner with Merlin's mom and uncle. He's not really used to doing any of those things as Merlin's boyfriend, however. "And some cakes. And an éclair, just in case. For you." 

Merlin arched an eyebrow. "Just in case? You're so weird sometimes."

"I'm _generous_." 

The sideways glance Merlin gave Arthur before laughing low and fond touched something warm and secret right at the center of Arthur's chest. The sun was high and hot in the summer sky as clouds gathered and the faint scent of an oncoming storm mixed with that of the hot asphalt and car exhaust. Behind them, Arthur could hear the noises from the diner's kitchen and, even farther back, the drone of cars on the highway. Hot, humid, and uncomfortably sticky -- typical Jersey August day -- and Merlin's body was a press of warmth all along Arthur's left side. 

The moment was perfect and ordinary, the sort that Arthur wished he could cup in the palm of his hand and hold onto as September approached. He leaned into the touch of Merlin's arm around his waist and rested his head against Merlin's shoulder.

"Come on," he said when the blare of a car horn forces that moment into a new, different one, "let's go home and eat." 

* 

Dinner turned out fine. Merlin's mom was warm, kind, and talkative and Merlin's uncle, well, he was a priest and Arthur always felt awkward and uncertain around him, but even that seems unchanged now that Arthur has started dating Merlin. 

The consistency was reassuring. Arthur liked knowing that after he finished helping Hunith wash dishes and put away leftovers that he could wander to the front porch and find Merlin there; that all he had to do was shut the door to the living room behind him and Merlin would flick on the radio and stretch out on the blanket, and tug Arthur down with him. That he only had to fit his body against Merlin's once more and a moment later, they would be kissing and breathing rushed words against each other's mouths. 

Arthur slipped his tongue inside Merlin's mouth as soon as Merlin parted his lips on a sigh, then slipped his hand up beneath Merlin's tee shirt. Arthur petted Merlin lightly, loving the way it drew more little sighing sounds from Merlin while they kissed and how, when he stroked down lower towards Merlin's waistband, it drew Merlin's body closer to his. 

When they're both breathing fast against each other's mouths and Arthur knows, really _knows_ he won't be able to last if they go any further, he leaned back and just watched Merlin. 

It was stupid, really, how Arthur didn't realize until this summer how much he loved doing that -- just watching Merlin breathe and laugh and run fingers through his hair when it was already a mess. 

"I think --" 

"Yeah. Yeah, me too. We should…" Merlin edged his tongue over his lips and nestled himself in close to Arthur. "It's starting to rain." 

"Yeah, finally." Arthur nuzzled against Merlin's ear, smiling when Merlin shivered happily at the touch, and pressed a kiss there. "Maybe it'll cool off some. Are you too hot?" he asked, then kissed Merlin's ear again when he shook his head and curled closer. 

"M'fine. Can you stay tonight? If you want to stay. Do you?"

Arthur rested his hand on Merlin's hip and nodded against Merlin. "I don't know why you think it's silly that I was worried about dinner when you seem to worry about everything." 

"I do not. Just… important stuff."

"Hm. You were brooding about the fall semester starting soon before, weren't you?"

"… no."

"Liar." Arthur kissed Merlin on the shoulder, then leaned in closer to nuzzle a firmer kiss to the center of his chest. "Everything's going to be okay, all right? For us. It's going to be okay." 

Merlin tensed for a second, but eased in against Arthur after slid his hand back up under Merlin's shirt to rub his stomach again. 

"Remind me to call home before we go up to your room," Arthur said.

Merlin just melted into him and hummed in reply, the evening opening up around them into the rain and falling dark.


End file.
